Sprouts has been in California for a while and is very highly regarded.

I have a store near me which is excellent.



Perhaps the merger and changeover has brought some glitches to old Sunflower stores.

I preferred Sunflower to Sprouts, the Sprouts in South Austin was closed when I was back to move our stuff to Denver in February, not sure when it closed. It had been open a shorter time than Sunflower. Sprouts has dropped some of the products that I specifically went to Sunflower to buy (both in Austin and Denver).

So back to topic, has anyone heard more on the WF remodel?

This was posted in the Oklahoman today.

"• Whole Foods Health Food Store leased 23,900 square feet of retail space in Walnut Square Shopping Center at SW 74 and Pennsylvania Avenue. Susan Brinkley handled the transaction."

Are they opening a second one?

Different company, evidently.

The Health Food Center - Oklahoma City (http://wholefoodswichita.com/locations/6-the-health-food-center-oklahome-city)

That's one of those annoying confusions. WF's has stated they're looking to open a second location in the OKC metro, nobody knows where though & they haven't commented on it in awhile. I'm sure stuff is going on behind the scene's though.

That's one of those annoying confusions. WF's has stated they're looking to open a second location in the OKC metro, nobody knows where though & they haven't commented on it in awhile. I'm sure stuff is going on behind the scene's though.

When did they say this? I know they're expanding the one OKC location but I never heard about a second location.

When did they say this? I know they're expanding the one OKC location but I never heard about a second location.

It was a year or so ago. I'll see if I can find the article for you.

Edit: I can't find anything doing a quick search. I may be remembering incorrectly & it was just speculation, not WF's actually saying that.

It was a year or so ago. I'll see if I can find the article for you.

Edit: I can't find anything doing a quick search. I may be remembering incorrectly & it was just speculation, not WF's actually saying that.

Yeah. I don't think a 2nd location has ever been mentioned by WFs. Maybe you're thinking of Tulsa's 2nd location, which has been discussed here before?

i think this might be one of the reasons people thought there would be a second location in OKC.


Their CEO is in town today, and informed the OKC store that the second store was being put in and that he'd be in Norman later this afternoon scouting locations with realtors as it is their ideal location. College education is their most important demographic, not income. He said it could take up to 36 months after securing a spot and he was very picky. I think the official announcement won't be til October when their FY ends.

Yeah. I don't think a 2nd location has ever been mentioned by WFs. Maybe you're thinking of Tulsa's 2nd location, which has been discussed here before?

It's either that or milkmandude's post that amberda quoted below your post. Whatever the case may be, I bet they'll open, or at least announce, a new OKC store within the next 5 years.

Surviving Whole Foods | Kelly MacLean (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-maclean/surviving-whole-foods_b_3895583.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false)


Whole Foods is like Vegas. You go there to feel good but you leave broke, disoriented, and with the newfound knowledge that you have a ******l disease.

Unlike Vegas, Whole Foods' clientele are all about mindfulness and compassion... until they get to the parking lot. Then it's war. As I pull up this morning, I see a pregnant lady on the crosswalk holding a baby and groceries. This driver swerves around her and honks. As he speeds off I catch his bumper sticker, which says 'NAMASTE'. Poor lady didn't even hear him approaching because he was driving a Prius. He crept up on her like a panther.

As the great, sliding glass doors part I am immediately smacked in the face by a wall of cool, moist air that smells of strawberries and orchids. I leave behind the concrete jungle and enter a cornucopia of organic bliss; the land of hemp milk and honey. Seriously, think about Heaven and then think about Whole Foods; they're basically the same.

The first thing I see is the great wall of kombucha -- 42 different kinds of rotten tea. Fun fact: the word kombucha is Japanese for 'I gizzed in your tea.' Anyone who's ever swallowed the glob of mucus at the end of the bottle knows exactly what I'm talking about. I believe this thing is called "The Mother," which makes it that much creepier.

Next I see the gluten-free section filled with crackers and bread made from various wheat-substitutes such as cardboard and sawdust. I skip this aisle because I'm not rich enough to have dietary restrictions. Ever notice that you don't meet poor people with special diet needs? A gluten intolerant house cleaner? A cab driver with Candida? Candida is what I call a rich, white person problem. You know you've really made it in this world when you get Candida. My personal theory is that Candida is something you get from too much hot yoga. All I'm saying is if I were a yeast, I would want to live in your yoga pants.

Next I approach the beauty aisle. There is a scary looking machine there that you put your face inside of and it tells you exactly how ugly you are. They calculate your wrinkles, sun spots, the size of your pores, etc. and compare it to other women your age. I think of myself attractive but as it turns out, I am 78 percent ugly, meaning less pretty than 78 percent of women in the world. On the popular 1-10 hotness scale used by males the world over, that makes me a 3 (if you round up, which I hope you will.) A glance at the extremely close-up picture they took of my face, in which I somehow have a glorious, blond porn mustache, tells me that 3 is about right. Especially because the left side of my face is apparently 20 percent more aged than the right. Fantastic. After contemplating ending it all here and now, I decide instead to buy their product. One bottle of delicious smelling, silky feeling creme that is maybe going to raise me from a 3 to a 4 for only $108 which is a pretty good deal when you think about it.

I grab a handful of peanut butter pretzels on my way out of this stupid aisle. I don't feel bad about pilfering these bites because of the umpteen times that I've overpaid at the salad bar and been tricked into buying $108 beauty creams. The pretzels are very fattening but I'm already in the seventieth percentile of ugly so who cares.

Next I come to the vitamin aisle which is a danger zone for any broke hypochondriac. Warning: Whole Foods keeps their best people in this section. Although you think she's a homeless person at first, that vitamin clerk is an ex-pharmaceuticals sales rep. Today she talks me into buying estrogen for my mystery mustache and Women's Acidophilus because apparently I DO have Candida after all.

I move on to the next aisle and ask the nearest Whole Foods clerk for help. He's wearing a visor inside and as if that weren't douchey enough, it has one word on it in all caps. Yup, NAMASTE. I ask him where I can find whole wheat bread. He chuckles at me "Oh, we keep the poison in aisle 7." Based solely on the attitudes of people sporting namaste paraphernalia today, I'd think it was Sanskrit for "go **** yourself."

I pass the table where the guy invites me to join a group cleanse he's leading. For $179.99 I can not-eat not-alone... not-gonna-happen. They're doing the cleanse where you consume nothing but lemon juice, cayenne pepper and fiber pills for 10 days, what's that one called again? Oh, yeah...anorexia. I went on a cleanse once; it was a mixed blessing. On the one hand, I detoxified, I purified, I lost weight. On the other hand, I fell asleep on the highway, fantasized about eating a pigeon, and crapped my pants. I think I'll stick with the whole eating thing.

I grab a couple of loaves of poison, and head to checkout. The fact that I'm at Whole Foods on a Sunday finally sinks in when I join the end of the line...halfway down the dog food aisle. I suddenly realize that I'm dying to get out of this store. Maybe it's the lonely feeling of being a carnivore in a sea of vegans, or the newfound knowledge that some people's dogs eat better than I do, but mostly I think it's the fact that Yanni has been playing literally this entire time. Like sensory deprivation, listening to Yanni seems harmless at first, enjoyable even. But two hours in, you'll chew your own ear off to make it stop.

A thousand minutes later, I get to the cashier. She is 95 percent beautiful. "Have you brought your reusable bags?" ****. No, they are at home with their 2 dozen once-used friends. She rings up my meat, alcohol, gluten and a wrapper from the chocolate bar I ate in line, with thinly veiled alarm. She scans my ladies acidophilus, gives me a pitying frown and whispers, "Ya know, if you wanna get rid of your Candida, you should stop feeding it." She rings me up for $313. I resist the urge to unwrap and swallow whole another $6 truffle in protest. Barely. Instead, I reach for my wallet, flash her a quiet smile and say, "Namaste."

That story must be an East Coast or a West Coast type of joke... doesn't feel that way at OKC's or in Dallas...

That story must be an East Coast or a West Coast type of joke... doesn't feel that way at OKC's or in Dallas...

laugh a little...it's a joke ;)

Surviving Whole Foods | Kelly MacLean (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-maclean/surviving-whole-foods_b_3895583.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false)

haha, that was hilarious!

laugh a little...it's a joke ;)

I know it's a joke, but it must be funnier to those in areas where you see stuff like that in real life.

Whole Foods' BBQ is awesome. Had some last night for the first time: brisket, chicken and short ribs. The brisket and short ribs were succulent and amazing. Very good 'cue. It's weird I hadn't tried it before but it always seemed odd to get BBQ at Whole Foods. Different perspective now.

Free meal this Sunday from 4 - 6 PM.


Help us celebrate our second birthday by giving back to the community!


Join us for a FREE pasta dinner THIS SUNDAY 10/20 on the lawn behind our store!



WHAT:

Just like in the old days, if your friends or neighbors were out of work or having a bad month, you invited them over for dinner. With federal furloughs and a downturn in the economy, we’re inviting the community over for dinner this Sunday: a free family-style pasta dinner with Spaghetti & Marinara Sauce, Salad, Dinner Roll and Bottled Water. Buttered Pasta is available for kids. All servings are individual portions, while supplies last.



WHERE:

Whole Foods Market/Oklahoma City

6001 N. Western

405/879-3500

Seating available on the lawn behind the store



WHY:

We love our neighbors and the Oklahoma City community!

Whole Foods' BBQ is awesome. Had some last night for the first time: brisket, chicken and short ribs. The brisket and short ribs were succulent and amazing. Very good 'cue. It's weird I hadn't tried it before but it always seemed odd to get BBQ at Whole Foods. Different perspective now.

Indeed, I just wish we had a REAL Whole Foods BBQ, with an actual BBQ counter where they chop it up fresh for you. The Park Lane flagship store in Dallas has a dedicated BBQ counter where the meatmaster? LOL, slices/chops it up fresh for you, and the food rotates out more frequently versus the hot lamps that we get here in OKC (I'm guessing do to lack of frequent turnover of product).

This can only mean more Whole Foods stores to come for Oklahoma: Whole Foods seeks to expand to 1,200 store in US alone (http://www.cnbc.com/id/101278992)

This is good news:


At more than 365 stores globally, the organic food market sees 1,200 as the target number of stores to which the business could expand just in U.S. alone

I posted this in another thread but wanted to also include the info here...


Whole Foods is actively looking for a location in Edmond and want to be somewhere near 2nd & Bryant.

I've also been told by several sources their location at Classen Curve is so overrun with business they can't service it properly; literally having issues keeping items stocked.

So, it looks like their plan is to build another North OKC store (likely nearly Memorial) and then look to the 2nd & Bryant area to keep some distance between the two new locations.

The Spring Creek area would be perfect for a Whole Foods and that's near the area where they want to be. I wonder if the NIMBYs would have a problem with that like they seemed to oppose Reasor's.

That's good news about possibly two new WF locations in the metro. It would really surprise me if they aren't also considering the Norman area but I could be wrong.

My understanding is they want to do another north OKC location first, mainly because they can't find a site in Edmond that they like near 2nd & Broadway, where they really want to be.

Curious about 2nd and Bryant location since A) there are already two grocery stores there and b) not a lot of empty space to put a store. spring creek would be better in reasors site.

but also cant go wrong in memorial area. maybe the chunk of land just east right behind s & b burger and panda express?

They have tons of options all along Memorial.

I'm sure they want to be more towards the northeast side of Edmond to put some distance between these two stores and to better serve the growing East Edmond market.

BTW, really too bad the Classen Curve location did not anticipate the need to expand.

It's a smallish location to start with and the way the property was developed, it's completely locked in on all sides. Plus, parking is locked in as well.

BTW, really too bad the Classen Curve location did not anticipate the need to expand.

It's a smallish location to start with and the way the property was developed, it's completely locked in on all sides. Plus, parking is locked in as well.

Wonderful planning, indeed.

As far as an Edmond location near 2 nd and Bryant, they could look at the Danforth and Coltrane area. Land is available on 3 corners. I don't think they would have a lot of nimbys to deal with. I would love to have WF that close to me. With Crest Foods looking at the Covell and Sooner location, it might be a good fit.

I am curious what the plan is for the land directly north of this, on the other side of the creek. I know this wouldnt be ideal, but they could build something there as well, maybe to anticipate Oklahoma liquor laws changing in a few years? Not saying make the entire area wine and beer, but a good mixture could work along with other things they need to add to the shopping experience. Honestly, if it were economically feasable, have wine, beer and all the areas where they make sandwiches, pizza, coffe, desserts, etc over there and normal shopping at the regular store. Not sure how you would connect the two, but an idea none the less.

That empty lot directly to the south of pelican bay aquatic center would be a perfect location

Looks like changes might be a comin'


Austin American Statesman - Whole Foods’ shares jump on takeover speculation (http://www.mystatesman.com/news/business/whole-foods-shares-jump-on-takeover-speculation/ngGFC/#3278db4d.257273.735390)
Shares of Whole Foods Market jumped Friday on reports that Florida-based Publix Super Markets Inc. might be looking to acquire the Austin-based natural foods company.

Looks like changes might be a comin'

Not sure what to think of that.

On the positive side, Publix is one of the best regular supermarket chains in the nation. This could be a great thing for OKC's grocery stores if this was a backdoor for Publix to enter the market. On the other side of that, I would hope the existing Whole Foods wouldn't be "downgraded" into a Publix store. Whole Foods has a brand recognition and an exclusivity about it that I hope doesn't get watered down.

Wowee. That would be a huge deal.

I posted about this before but the middle-market grocers are getting squeezed on both ends and that trend is accelerating, as consumers are increasingly opting for high-end (like Whole Foods) or deep discount (WinCo, Costco).

I suspect Publix sees the writing on the wall and wants to diversify.

YES! YES! YES! YES!

Publix is my favorite grocery store of all time, had them when I lived in South Carolina. Please let this happen!!!!!

Not sure what to think of that.

On the positive side, Publix is one of the best regular supermarket chains in the nation. This could be a great thing for OKC's grocery stores if this was a backdoor for Publix to enter the market. On the other side of that, I would hope the existing Whole Foods wouldn't be "downgraded" into a Publix store. Whole Foods has a brand recognition and an exclusivity about it that I hope doesn't get watered down.

I really can't see how this would bode well for the WF brand, given that most grocery firms are going to want to do everything they can to consolidate distribution streams in an effort to keep costs down. Unless they wish to integrate some of the brands sold by Whole Foods into the Publix mix, I don't know how they would keep things separate. Then again, I'm not overly-versed on the grocery business.

My experiences with Publix when I lived in Florida were that they were right around the "nice" Homeland (former Albertsons) on N Britton and May, or on par with Crest. I definitely don't remember anything truly spectacular or noteworthy.

Publix started their own organic store, only opened 3, then decided it was best to incorporate the organic items into their existing stores.

Also, they have a lot of stores but are only in 6 states. This may be their way of accessing a much larger geography.

My experiences with Publix when I lived in Florida were that they were right around the "nice" Homeland (former Albertsons) on N Britton and May, or on par with Crest. I definitely don't remember anything truly spectacular or noteworthy.

I agree. Crest on S May and 104th or Homeland on N May and Britton are about on par with a Publix. That's why I said that I hope they don't "downgrade" OKC's Whole Foods into a regular Publix if this deal does go through. Publix stores are better than most grocery stores in the OKC metro but they aren't Whole Foods.

Whole foods would I'm sure be operated as a separately company

Not a huge fan of Publix. They're sort of like what a store would look like if you took one of our nicest Albertson's from the 1990s and allowed the logical progression to today to happen. It'd probably be a good deal for both companies I'm sure as they sort of complement one another, but as is usually the case with such deals I don't really see something like this being a good thing for the consumer.

Whole Foods is arguably the most trusted grocer for providing organic and natural foods, produced and delivered sustainably. It's hard to imagine a conventional grocer being able to fit this niche in a manner that Whole Foods does. The Whole Foods brand is golden.

Whole Foods is arguably the most trusted grocer for providing organic and natural foods, produced and delivered sustainably. It's hard to imagine a conventional grocer being able to fit this niche in a manner that Whole Foods does. The Whole Foods brand is golden.

I agree. My hope would be that Publix would keep the Whole Foods brand separate from its standard stores rather than convert them. This could be a really bad thing for the consumer if they decided to make all Whole Foods locations regular grocery stores.

My only gripe with Whole Foods is their mark-up. The place is great and all, but they spend so much on "flash" and they add so much onto prices....because they can because of who they target. I can find the same EXACT products at other places in town, like Sprouts, for a much lower cost. So it's not as though they are being forced to charge the higher amount just because its organic. Organic has a higher price anyway, but WF just goes above and beyond on their prices.

In Norman, you get the benefit of a lot better competition in this niche with Sprouts/Natural Grocers/Forward Foods/etc. Even Crest has some things to compete with. Not to mention the high quality Farmer's Market at the fairgrounds, which is FAR better than any other one in OKC (even OSU-OKC, only because OSU's tends to have more "stuff" than local food...watch those location tags). The more "hippie" (lol) world in Norman contributes to the market being open to the stuff, but keeps the overcharging companies like WF out because they know the residents wont pay for it.

My only gripe with Whole Foods is their mark-up. The place is great and all, but they spend so much on "flash" and they add so much onto prices....because they can because of who they target. I can find the same EXACT products at other places in town, like Sprouts, for a much lower cost. So it's not as though they are being forced to charge the higher amount just because its organic. Organic has a higher price anyway, but WF just goes above and beyond on their prices.

In Norman, you get the benefit of a lot better competition in this niche with Sprouts/Natural Grocers/Forward Foods/etc. Even Crest has some things to compete with. Not to mention the high quality Farmer's Market at the fairgrounds, which is FAR better than any other one in OKC (even OSU-OKC, only because OSU's tends to have more "stuff" than local food...watch those location tags). The more "hippie" (lol) world in Norman contributes to the market being open to the stuff, but keeps the overcharging companies like WF out because they know the residents wont pay for it.

I agree completely. Sometimes I walk into Whole Foods and just can't believe the cost of a lot of it. I get paying more for a better experience and all that, but damn, some of it is just ridiculous.

I agree completely. Sometimes I walk into Whole Foods and just can't believe the cost of a lot of it. I get paying more for a better experience and all that, but damn, some of it is just ridiculous.

It's not just experience, the FOOD QUALITY is SOOOOO much better than your average grocer, including the other organic alternatives like Sprouts. You get what you pay for.

My only gripe with Whole Foods is their mark-up. The place is great and all, but they spend so much on "flash" and they add so much onto prices....because they can because of who they target. I can find the same EXACT products at other places in town, like Sprouts, for a much lower cost. So it's not as though they are being forced to charge the higher amount just because its organic. Organic has a higher price anyway, but WF just goes above and beyond on their prices.

In Norman, you get the benefit of a lot better competition in this niche with Sprouts/Natural Grocers/Forward Foods/etc. Even Crest has some things to compete with. Not to mention the high quality Farmer's Market at the fairgrounds, which is FAR better than any other one in OKC (even OSU-OKC, only because OSU's tends to have more "stuff" than local food...watch those location tags). The more "hippie" (lol) world in Norman contributes to the market being open to the stuff, but keeps the overcharging companies like WF out because they know the residents wont pay for it.

Maybe, MAYBE, some of the produce is similar (although Sprouts has very little organic produce for sale), but the meat and seafood at Whole Foods are on a level that Sprouts or no one else in the metro can begin to match. I feel 100% confident of the seafood and meat I purchase at Whole Foods. I have stopped purchasing seafood from any other store -- and for good reason (Google it, I don't have time to explain it to you). Also, the in-house products Whole Foods creates in store are better. The flowers are better. The bakery is better. It's better in just about every way, and if you think you can find food that is as good as that at Sprouts, I don't know what i can say.

Whole Foods and Sprouts are completely different stores, with different standards of products. Whole Foods is better in every way, and it's not close.

The way I look at it is if you are that price conscious, Whole Foods doesn't expect your business to begin with. Their business model is working very well, even in a place like OKC which is more price conscious than most cities. Some people are willing to pay more for better quality, selection, and yes the status of being a Whole Foods shopper.

The way I look at it is if you are that price conscious, Whole Foods doesn't expect your business to begin with. Their business model is working very well, even in a place like OKC which is more price conscious than most cities. Some people are willing to pay more for better quality, selection, and yes the status of being a Whole Foods shopper.

You can't put a price on that feeling of superiority over mere mortal shoppers. :wink:

For me, status is silly and irrelevant. I want to put good food in my body with minimal processing, no hormones, no pesticides, etc. if you are careful, you can stretch your dollar at Whole Foods -- mainly by only purchasing what you need. Bulk shopping is wasteful.

The way I look at it is if you are that price conscious, Whole Foods doesn't expect your business to begin with. Their business model is working very well, even in a place like OKC which is more price conscious than most cities. Some people are willing to pay more for better quality, selection, and yes the status of being a Whole Foods shopper.

That's really stupid. And people ought to be embarrassed if that's the only reason they shop there.

The way I look at it is if you are that price conscious, Whole Foods doesn't expect your business to begin with. Their business model is working very well, even in a place like OKC which is more price conscious than most cities. Some people are willing to pay more for better quality, selection, and yes the status of being a Whole Foods shopper.

And many of them display the shopping bags in every room to show how much better off they are than their neighbors :cool:

Personally, I go to the whole for their very fine quality of products and their exceptional customer service. The fact that you don't have to put up with this:

Man Accused of Masturbating at Walmart - KTUL.com - Tulsa, Oklahoma - News, Weather & Sports (http://www.ktul.com/story/25781534/police-arrest-man-for-masturbating-at-walmart)

is just a fringe benefit.

Personally, I go to the whole for their very fine quality of products and their exceptional customer service. The fact that you don't have to put up with this:

Man Accused of Masturbating at Walmart - KTUL.com - Tulsa, Oklahoma - News, Weather & Sports (http://www.ktul.com/story/25781534/police-arrest-man-for-masturbating-at-walmart)

is just a fringe benefit.Are you sure no one has ever masturbated in a Whole Foods? Every time I go in there, there are some fine looking older women walking around that place.

Are you sure no one has ever masturbated in a Whole Foods? Every time I go in there, there are some fine looking older women walking around that place.

Omg!

Omg!Now looking back at that comment, it kind of sounds wrong... haha. I'm not saying I ever did that..... I like to think I'm a little more decent than to do something like that lol

I'm just saying, I'm sure someone ELSE has done it. :p

I absolutely agree that some people shop there just to use it as a status symbol. It's stupid, but they do it.

I'll say this, you won't find that same feeling for people that go to Sprouts. Thank goodness.

Maybe, MAYBE, some of the produce is similar (although Sprouts has very little organic produce for sale), but the meat and seafood at Whole Foods are on a level that Sprouts or no one else in the metro can begin to match. I feel 100% confident of the seafood and meat I purchase at Whole Foods. I have stopped purchasing seafood from any other store -- and for good reason (Google it, I don't have time to explain it to you). Also, the in-house products Whole Foods creates in store are better. The flowers are better. The bakery is better. It's better in just about every way, and if you think you can find food that is as good as that at Sprouts, I don't know what i can say.

Whole Foods and Sprouts are completely different stores, with different standards of products. Whole Foods is better in every way, and it's not close.

This. People that compare Sprouts to WF really haven't spent much time at Whole Foods. Not even near the quality or selection. Totally agree about the meat quality, Wayyyyyy better than anywhere else you'll get, it's on another level. Highly recommend the black forest bacon BTW!

...and yes the status of being a Whole Foods shopper.

You can't put a price on that feeling of superiority over mere mortal shoppers.

And many of them display the shopping bags in every room to show how much better off they are than their neighbors.

I absolutely agree that some people shop there just to use it as a status symbol. It's stupid, but they do it.

Highly recommend the black forest bacon BTW!

case in point - Idioms - by the Free Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia. (http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/case+in+point)

Whole Foods will no longer accept checks.

Oklahoma City grocery store to stop accepting checks | Oklahoma City - OKC - KOCO.com (http://www.koco.com/news/oklahoma-city-grocery-store-to-stop-accepting-checks/27717130#!bJ7cnU)

too many bouncing?